Amtrak's Pennsylvanian line stops in downtown Altoona with daily service in each direction from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

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===By car===

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Altoona is located along Interstate 99, which can be reached from I-70 from the Washington-Baltimore area or Pittsburgh area, from I-76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) from the Philadelphia area, or from I-80 from the New York City area. Altoona can also be reached directly from Pittsburgh via I-376/US 22.

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===By plane===

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Altoona's airport is Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO). United Airlines operates direct flights to both Washington Dulles and Johnstown, PA. This is a very small airport and is a convenient 12 miles from the downtown area. Another airport in the area, is University Park Airport in State College, 45 minutes from Altoona. The University Park Airport is a much larger airport with daily flights to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Detroit, Chicago, and Atlanta.

*<see name="Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark" alt="" address="" directions="west of Altoona on Kittanning Point Road" phone="" url="" hours="" price="$6" lat="" long="">Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to allow trains to climb the steep Allegheny Mountains, this historic and well-known construction is a mecca for railfans. Located along the current Norfolk Southern east-west mainline, over 50 trains per day pass around the triple-track curve. Admission includes access to a small museum and a funicular ride up the hill to a grassy area on the inside of the curve, which has over 180 degrees' view of railroading action.</see> ''The curve can also be viewed from on-board Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train between Altoona and Pittsburgh.''

*<see name="Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site" alt="in nearby Gallitzen" address="110 Federal Park Road, Gallitzin, PA 16641" directions="The park is located just off U.S. 22 approximately 12 miles west of Altoona and 10 miles east of Ebensburg. Take the Gallitzin Exit and follow the signs." phone="(814) 886-6150" url="http://www.nps.gov/alpo" hours="9AM to 5PM daily" price="$4" lat="" long="">The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Linn, and Ulysses S. Grant traveled over the Allegheny Mountains. They braved a system that injured passengers on a weekly basis. A system of inclined planes and a nine hundred foot tunnel carved through solid rock by Welsh coalminers made this feat possible. For twenty years, it was the fastest way to transgress the rough and wild terrain of Pennsylvania. The site features a recreated incline and winch used to pull portaged barges over the hill.</see>

*<buy name="Boyer Candies outlet store" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">The manufacturer of Mallo Cup and Smoothies peanut butter cups is located in Altoona and has an outlet store on site at their factory.</buy>

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*<buy name="Boyer Candies outlet store" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">The manufacturer of Mallo Cup and Smoothies peanut butter cups is in Altoona and has an outlet store on site at their factory.</buy>

*<drink name="The Knickherbocker Tavern" alt="" address="3957 W 6th Ave" directions="" phone="" url="" hours="" price="" lat="" long="">Cool place with decent pub grub and a very wide selection of craft brews from all over the country (and the world). Kind of strange "suburban" location but probably the best bar in town, especially if you like beer. Reasonable prices.</drink>

Latest revision as of 16:52, 8 April 2014

Contents

Altoona is a city in central Pennsylvania. Altoona was founded as a railroad town by the Pennsylvania Railroad as the site of their Altoona Works shops, and its history as a railroad town still shows in the town today despite the decline of the railroad and its eventual absorption into Penn Central, Conrail, and now Norfolk Southern.

Altoona is located along Interstate 99, which can be reached from I-70 from the Washington-Baltimore area or Pittsburgh area, from I-76 (the Pennsylvania Turnpike) from the Philadelphia area, or from I-80 from the New York City area. Altoona can also be reached directly from Pittsburgh via I-376/US 22.

Altoona's airport is Altoona-Blair County Airport (AOO). United Airlines operates direct flights to both Washington Dulles and Johnstown, PA. This is a very small airport and is a convenient 12 miles from the downtown area. Another airport in the area, is University Park Airport in State College, 45 minutes from Altoona. The University Park Airport is a much larger airport with daily flights to Philadelphia, Washington DC, Detroit, Chicago, and Atlanta.

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 13th Avenue at 13th Street. A Roman Catholic cathedraledit

Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark, (west of Altoona on Kittanning Point Road). Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad to allow trains to climb the steep Allegheny Mountains, this historic and well-known construction is a mecca for railfans. Located along the current Norfolk Southern east-west mainline, over 50 trains per day pass around the triple-track curve. Admission includes access to a small museum and a funicular ride up the hill to a grassy area on the inside of the curve, which has over 180 degrees' view of railroading action.$6. editThe curve can also be viewed from on-board Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train between Altoona and Pittsburgh.

Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, [1]. in downtown Altoona is a museum showing Altoona's history as a railroad town.edit

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (in nearby Gallitzen), 110 Federal Park Road, Gallitzin, PA 16641 (The park is located just off U.S. 22 approximately 12 miles west of Altoona and 10 miles east of Ebensburg. Take the Gallitzin Exit and follow the signs.), ☎(814) 886-6150, [2]. 9AM to 5PM daily. The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Linn, and Ulysses S. Grant traveled over the Allegheny Mountains. They braved a system that injured passengers on a weekly basis. A system of inclined planes and a nine hundred foot tunnel carved through solid rock by Welsh coalminers made this feat possible. For twenty years, it was the fastest way to transgress the rough and wild terrain of Pennsylvania. The site features a recreated incline and winch used to pull portaged barges over the hill.$4. edit

The Knickherbocker Tavern, 3957 W 6th Ave. Cool place with decent pub grub and a very wide selection of craft brews from all over the country (and the world). Kind of strange "suburban" location but probably the best bar in town, especially if you like beer. Reasonable prices.edit